Siemens Information & Communication Networks, Inc.

Siemens Communications, Inc.

Siemens Enterprise Communications, Inc.

Siemens Business Communication Systems, Inc.

Siemens Information and Communication Systems, Inc.

Siemens Information

Other

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Unify Gmbh Co. Kg

Intellectual Ventures Fund 79 LLC

Unify, Inc.

Siemens Communications, Inc., Boca Raton

Communication Networks, Inc.

Siemens Information and Communications Systems, Inc.

Communications Networks, Inc.

William Joseph Beyda

Shmuel Shaffer

Rami Caspi

Paul Bonomo

Florin M Gheorghiu

Peter J Kozdon

Mark Skrzynski

Eli Jacobi

Ronald Robert Carleton

David C Iglehart

Leland A Lester

Leroy Edwin Gilbert

Randall Wuerfel

Cheryl Gold

Jay Thomas

Elie Antoun Jreij

Markku Korpi

George E Carter

Marcel Manzardo

Andrew Mason

Uwe Wrede

Selena Dilley

Rudolph Bitzinger

Gregory Noel

Rudolf Bitzinger

Richard J Riggan

Vinesh R Mehta

Neal J King

Matthew T Dean

Zafar M Khalid

Charles M White

Phillip C Meredith

Andrzej Koscinski

Jose Garcia Reyes

Victor Chan

Stephen J Swain

Graham Howard

James M Worsham

Matthew T Hannigan

Ben Steele

Leopold B&ouml;mer

Mieu-Hong Dang

Charles Marcus White

Steven Bryan Wilson

Bernie Vallez

Cathy Sue Beyda

David Harmon Howell

Steven Duane Hopla

Edward Anthony Del Prete

Elaine J Sansone

Naomi Frid Ruppin

Harry Yen

Uzi Shalev

Dan Lai

Dieter Rencken

Franz Gisin

John W Kerr, Jr

Robin Spires

Henry W Lambert

Rodrigo Tyrone Marcus

Keith Lynn Putnam

Richard Crouch

A telecommunications system including a network; a plurality of user devices coupled to the network; a multipoint control unit coupled to the network and configured to supervise multipoint conferencing among the plurality of user devices, the multipoint control unit including a presentation mixer, the presentation mixer configured to remove one or more backgrounds from a presentation and mix a live video feed into the presentation as a substitute background; and a screen for displaying a resulting mixed presentation such that a full area of the screen is used to display the mixed presentation. In some embodiments, the presentation mixer is further configured to adjust a level of transparency of the substitute background.

Method and apparatus for enhanced video mixing

An electronic business card is provided with voice data associated with the card owner. In some embodiments, the voice data is a digitized voice sample; in other embodiments, the voice data is a selection of pre-processed voice recognition data associated with a voice sample. In some implementations, the electronic business card can be transferred to other parties using a Bluetooth personal network. A user application can then make use of the voice sample or pre-processed voice recognition data for security or user identification.

Method and apparatus for secure electronic business card exchange

A method includes associating an e-mail address with a plurality of telephone numbers; associating one of the telephone numbers with a one number service (); allowing telephone calls to the one of the telephone numbers by selecting the e-mail address. In some embodiments, the allowing telephone calls comprises calling a programmed caller number and calling to a called party number associated with the e-mail address. In some embodiments, a called party and a calling party are subscribers to a one-number service ().

Method and apparatus for one number mapping directory presence service

A digital personal video stream manager () includes a control processor (), a media interface (), and one or more control interfaces. The media interface () can receive broadband audio and video and convert it into digital file format for transmission on a LAN, such as an IEEE 802.11 based wireless LAN, to a personal computer (). The media interface () can likewise receive digital media files from the personal computer () via the wireless interface, and convert them to a format for playback by the audio system () or television (). Further, the digital personal video stream manager () can receive controls from remote users to supervise media recording. The control interfaces allow control of the digital personal video stream manager, such as via infrared remote controls.

System and method for digital personal video stream manager

In one example, a portable device having a camera downloads checkout software. The camera is then used to capture images of indicia associated with products in a store, such as bar codes. The portable device incrementally transmits messages to a remote server over a packet data connection of the portable device as the portable device moves through the store based on the captured images. The portable device then transmits a message requesting checkout to the remote server, and in response to receiving a reply to the message requesting checkout, causes a checkout price associated with purchasing the products to be displayed on a display of the portable device.

Apparatus and method for mobile checkout

A telecommunications device including a laptop computer having a telephony soft client. According to embodiments of the present invention, calls may be received even when the laptop computer is turned off. The laptop computer wakes up responsive to detecting an incoming call. In some embodiments, the system checks on a user presence status before waking up the laptop. In some embodiments, the telephony soft client may be quick booted to allow a user to make an emergency telephone call, without fully booting the laptop computer.

Method and apparatus for always-on voice client service on mobile computing devices

A method includes receiving audio electronic business card data during a conference; comparing said audio electronic business card data with voices of conference speakers to confirm identities of said speakers; performing an acoustic triangulation to determine a position of speakers; correlating a position of said speakers with said identities; and displaying locations of said speakers.

Method and apparatus for mapping of conference call participants using positional presence

A telecommunications system includes a network; a plurality of user devices coupled to the network; a multipoint control unit coupled to the network and configured to supervise multipoint conferencing among the plurality of user devices, the multipoint control unit including a presentation mixer, the presentation mixer configured to remove one or more backgrounds from a presentation and mix a live video feed into the presentation as a substitute background; a screen for displaying a resulting mixed presentation such that a full area of the screen is used to display the mixed presentation; and a feature recognition system configured to identify a party from one or more features displayed on the screen and selectively adjust a transparency of said one or more features other than said party.

Method and apparatus for face recognition enhanced video mixing

A telecommunications system includes a packet network; a plurality of VoIP endpoints; and a plurality of VoIP feature servers. The VoIP endpoints are able to send configuration request messages to the feature servers. The feature servers respond with information indicative of supported features. The VoIP endpoints can then update the system configurations based on the response information. Further, newly added feature servers transmit feature availability messages to endpoints when initially installed. The endpoints then respond to configure themselves appropriately.

System and method for automatic voice over IP endpoint configuration

Some embodiments provide a telephone comprising an interface port to receive a computer network interface device.

Networkable telephone system

A telecommunications device includes a laptop computer having a telephony soft client that may run, for example, in a browser window. The telephony soft client includes a utility to allow it to determine the laptop's local external IP address and from it, the local country. The telephony soft client then performs a lookup of the local country's emergency telephone number, either from a local table or from a specially maintained remote database. The local emergency telephone number can then be displayed, or programmed to a 'quick dial' key.

Method and apparatus for emergency number awareness

A system including a conferencing telephone coupled to or in communication with an identification service. The identification service is configured to poll user devices of conference participants to determine or confirm identities. In response, the user devices transmit audio electronic business cards, which can include user voice samples and/or preprocessed voice recognition data. The identification service stores the resulting audio electronic business card data. When the corresponding participant speaks during the conference, the identification service identifies the speaker.

Method and apparatus for identification of conference call participants

A telephone answering system () and method () that permits a user to immediately generate a customized playback message in response to an incoming call without having to actually answer the call. The system () can include a ring detector (), a command interface (), a controller () and a telephone network interface (). In response to an incoming call, the ring detector () alerts the called party and causes the controller () to activate the command interface (). The command interface () is activated for a predetermined time while the call is still ringing. While activated, the called party can select or enter a playback message. The playback message can be a pre-recorded audio message stored within the device, or a voice message spoken by the called party during the activation period. After the playback message is selected by the called party, the telephone system () answers the incoming call and automatically plays the customized message to the calling party.

Method and system for providing customized audio responses to incoming phone calls

A telecommunications system includes a network; a social networking service operably coupled to the network and configured to allow registration of users, to allow identification of registered users' interests, and to identify associated users, said associated users being associated with registered users; a presence service operably coupled to the network and configured to determine an availability of associated users responsive to one or more availability criteria; a translation unit configured to convert user information from a social networking service format to a presence service format; and a messaging service operably coupled to the network and configured to send notification messages to associated users determined to be available and having a common interest corresponding to an event responsive to an occurrence of the event and one or more availability criteria.

System and method for social-networking based presence

A telecommunications system includes a network; a plurality of user devices operably coupled to said network and including a microphone and a speaker; a collaboration server configured to cause a playing of one or more test tones at said plurality of user devices and compensate for feedback if said test tones are detected by microphones associated with said plurality of user devices.

Method and apparatus for multiparty collaboration enhancement

Growing community of inventors

Cupertino, CA, United States of America

William Joseph Beyda